Verbena plant named ‘KLEVE04334’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘KLEVE04334’, characterized by its outwardly spreading to trailing and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit; and large red purple-colored flowers with flowers held above and beyond the foliage.

Botanical designation: Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘KLEVE04334’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbenaplant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘KLEVE04334’.

The new Verbena is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Camden, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of thebreeding program is to develop new Verbena cultivars with large andattractive flowers.

The new Verbena originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventorin 2000 of a proprietary Verbena hybrida selection identified as 00.7.2,not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietaryselection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number 00.10.4, notpatented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar KLEVE04334 wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within theprogeny from this cross-pollination in a controlled environment inCamden, New South Wales, Australia in 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Camden, New South Wales, Australia since 2001,has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘KLEVE04334’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘KLEVE04334’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading to trailing and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.    -   3. Large red purple-colored flowers with flowers held above and        beyond the foliage.

Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent selection in flower color as plants of the female parentselection have pink-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the newVerbena have larger flowers than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the maleparent selection in flower color as plants of the male parent selectionhave red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the cultivar StarDream Pink, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inCamden, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Verbena differedprimarily from plants of the cultivar Star Dream Pink in flower color asflowers of plants of the cultivar Star Dream Pink were more purple thanflowers of plants of the new Verbena. In addition, plants of the newVerbena had smaller leaves than plants of the cultivar Star Dream Pink.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Verbena. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘KLEVE04334’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar KLEVE04334 has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype. The aforementionedphotograph and following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown in Stuttgart, Germany, under commercial practice during the springin a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 18° C.to 20° C., night temperatures ranging from 15° C. to 18° C. and lightlevels ranging from 20,000 to 55,000 lux. Plants were about five monthsold when the photograph and description were taken. Plants were pinchedone time. In the following description, color references are made to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida cultivar KLEVE04334.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Verbena hybrida            selection identified as 00.7.2, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Verbena hybrida            selection identified as code number 00.10.4, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 5 to 8 days at 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 8 to 10 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting or linear, summer.—About 14            to 20 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner, winter.—About 21            days at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; pale white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Medium branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Outwardly spreading to trailing and mounded plant            habit.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous and            freely-branching with lateral branches potentially            developing at every node; dense and bushy growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 20 cm to 25 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 40 cm to 50 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 20 cm to 30 cm. Diameter:            About 2.5 mm. Internode length: About 3 cm to 7 cm. Texture:            Slightly pubescent. Strength: Moderately strong. Color:            143A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Length:            About 2 cm to 5 cm. Width: About 2 cm to 3.5 cm. Shape:            Broadly ovate to deltoid. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate.            Margin: Crenate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly            pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing and            fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137B; venation, 137B.            Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137C;            venation, 137D. Petiole length: About 5 mm to 10 mm. Petiole            diameter: About 1 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Petiole color, upper and lower            surfaces: 137D.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single upright salverform flowers            arranged on compact terminal racemes; flowers sessile.            Freely flowering with about 12 to 15 flowers per raceme.            Inflorescences positioned above and beyond the foliage.            Flowers last about one week under greenhouse conditions.            Flowers not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—Faint.        -   Flowering season.—In the garden, flowering is continuous            from spring through the fall.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 3 cm to 5 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5 cm.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Depth: About 5 mm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 mm to 15 mm. Diameter: About            2 mm. Shape: Tubular, columnar. Color: 137B.        -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five per flower fused at base.            Lobe length: About 5 mm to 15 mm. Lobe width: About 5 mm.            Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Color:            When opening, upper surface: 57B. When opening, lower            surface: 62C. Fully opened, upper surface: 58B; color            becoming closer to 58C with development; Eye Zone, close to            155D. Fully opened, lower surface: 62C.        -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five, fused into a tube.            Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate.            Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Coarse, pubescent. Color, upper and            lower surfaces: 137C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Strength: Strong. Color: Close to 143A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four;            adnate to pistil. Anther shape: Elliptic. Anther length:            About 1 mm. Anther color: 1C. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen            color: 1C. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length:            About 1.5 cm. Stigma shape: Spherical. Stigma color: 139C.            Style length: About 1.5 cm. Style color: 139D. Ovary color:            139C.        -   Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbena.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed    to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to about 35°    C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named ‘KLEVE04334’, asillustrated and described.